- Show Date: 14/10/2023
- Show Type: Championship Show
- Judged by: Michelle Meredith Contact Judge
- Published Date: 19/10/2023
South Wales Kennel Association
All the dogs were new to me, I thought coat presentation much improved than previously, far less excess feathering and no shortage of Cockers displaying the merry attitude so important to the breed which was a pleasure to see.
Veteran(2)What a good opening class! 1. Pearce-Gudger's SH.CH.CACHEL PRINCE CHARMING, what a typy o/r, has a beautiful masculine but sweet head and dark eye with kind expression & tight eye rims, correctly shaped bone with substance, correct legs and tight feet, a good reach of neck, rear angulation and kept his topline firm standing and moving where he is the epitome of the Merry Cocker, not surprized he has his title, hardly looked a veteran, presented in excellent condition; 2. Collin's CACHEL KING OF HEARTS AT CANDYKE, dark blue and another of a lovely type, has quality and was shorter coupled and deeper in the rib, but not the substance of 1, pleasing forequarters and just as sound behind, again in good order and close up to 1.
Minor Puppy(4)1. William's WILMERELLA HIGHLANDER, super typy blue and very forward for age, masculine but sweet well chiselled head, dark tight eye, has already well developed ribs and depth to forechest, he is balanced and correctly angulated, merry and sound on the move, an asset to the breed, should go places in the future; 2. Pop's MERRYSOUL CAN'T BE LEGAL AT BOCABLUE, gold and a real baby so not as together as 1, loved his superb tight feet and solid bone, his head is yet to break but looks promising and already has a sweet expression with dark tight eyes, he is well ribbed and bodied for age, promising; 3. Lewis' ROCKYPOINT RAFFLES.
Puppy(3)1. Dewhurst's GLOWHILL SLVER ARROW AT LAPIDARY, steel blue of just the type I like, excellent head, neck and shoulders, good bone and feet, well angulated without exaggeration, in full coat and quite mature, just needs to settle on the move, 2. MERYSOUL CAN'T BE LEGAL AT BOCABLUE, 3. Turner's LOCHRANZA CELTIC SPRING.
Junior (2)1. Hackett's LINDRIDGE HARBOUR LIGHTS, stunning Cocker that is the typical example of a lot of dog in a small space, until I judged Open I thought he would be my CC winner and came within a whisker of RCC, he doesn't need to be stacked to see how well he is made, the best head and expression I saw today which is balanced with correct square muzzle, dark tight expressive eyes, plenty of work in the skull with refinement yet he is all male, sufficient neck without throatiness, has width to the forechest but with elbows tight in and set well under, beautifully angulated with short loin, well let down at the hock, he is short and cobby, looks sturdy and merry on the move with width and drive and that all import Cocker bustle, just felt in the challenge he got a bit unsettled by his kennel-mate and didn't quite have the finish but what a dog and such an asset to the breed! 2. Craig's ALISMA AMARILLO, another with quality, dark blue of super type, again square muzzle with a good head and expression, correct bone, legs and feet, excellent in stifle, just not as merry on the move as 1.
Yearling(1)1. Simonelli's MEDEN AGAN TIME AFTER TIME, black in gleaming coat and condition, has width to the chest and is solid behind, sound with strong topline, would just prefer shorter couplings.
Post Graduate(5)1. Bond's OLIBOND NOT A BOTHER, dark blue of lovely type, has an excellent head and expression, clean neck of good length with well laid-back of shoulders, has excellent angulation and is sound; 2. Share-Jones' SHAREMEAD GOLDEN SPARK, I liked this red who has a squarer more compact shape but preferred the skull shape and chiselling on 1, has excellent ribs, correct bend of stifle and was in superb coat and condition, presentation A1; 3. Jenkin's GINO DELLA SCIARANERA OF BRUXLY (Imp).
Limit(3)1. Collin's BARTONHOLM PRINCE OF TIDES AT CANDYKE, dark blue of excellent type, masculine but not overdone head, super angulation and well let down at the hock, soundly made all over and in good coat and condition; 2. Fleetwood's SONHAM BLUE BAILEY, not as masculine as 1, he has very good ribs and depth to chest, again in good coat and a sound mover; 3. Pendlebury's ROCKLLOCERS COCONUT HUSK AT SANDABYS.
Open(8)Strong class, quality down the line,1. Hackett's LINDRIDGE FRONT RUNNER, O/W and what I would describe as an honest Cocker, simply has so much quality, his head is balanced and sufficiently masculine with gorgeous dark eyes and expression, he has super bone, legs and tight feet, correct amount of bone making him balanced with a short square outline, big ribs with very well bent stifles, absolutely sound fore and aft with merry cocker attitude and correct tail carriage, had the finish to win CC & BOB, surprized he is not already a title holder; 2. Wildman's SH.CH.OKTUMI MAJOR PLAYER, lots of quality to this blue, again super bone, legs and feet ,fine well-laid and clean shoulders well ribbed up, completely sound and merry on the move, his fitness and muscle coupled with A1 presentation makes him eye-catching, his head and expression is good but just preferred the finer chiselling of 1's back-skull which meant RCC; 3.Birkenshaw's SH.CH.GILCAR MIDNIGHT DREAM.
Good Citizen Scheme(1)1. Holland's CRIMCAR INDIGO MAGIC TO HOLCHANCER, very nice type steel blue, could have competed well in a higher class, dark eye and sweet expression, correct bone and tight feet, well ribbed with firm topline and correct tail set, sound and merry on the move.
Minor Puppy(7)1. Share-Jones' FLORENDEEM FRENCH FANCY, loved this typy dark blue, she is short and square with and excellent front assembly, has a sweet head and eye which is developing nicely with good chiselling, sound mover, promising; 2. Kezourec's WILMERELLA FANTASY AT BELCROUTE, blue, raw baby but showing much promise and of very good type, a bit bum-high compared to 1 as yet, she has a good neck and shoulders, well ribbed and showing correct angulation, a very good puppy and sound mover; 3. Holland's KYNA TOUCH OF MAJIC TO HOLCHANCER.
Puppy(7) 1. Bowen's GLOWHILL ANNIKA AT LARARTH, just the type of steel blue I love, square muzzle and sweet expression, superb legs and compact feet, she is balanced and short coupled, well muscled and a sound free, confident merry mover, BP and shortlisted in the Puppy Group; 2. WILMERELLA FANTASY AT BELCROUTE; 3. Turner's DARTEMIS UNLIMITED LOVE.
Junior(9) 1. Masters & Dott's MANCHELA LITTLE TEASE, an honest type of dark blue, has width of forechest coupled with superb legs and strong tight feet, she has an excellent spring of rib and was very sound on the move, 2. McBride's CHARMWEN HANDLE WITH CARE, quality light blue and close up, again superb legs and feet, well let down at the hock, just not the maturity of body and forechest of 1; 3. Simonelli's MEDEN AGAN THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.
Yearling (5)1. Craig's ALISMA ALOONAH, very typy dark blue, correct forechest and ribs, well laid fine shoulders, pleasing legs and feet, well bent stifles and short at the hock, sound and merry on the move, looked good value in the challenge and close to RCC;2. Stockes-Harrell & Harell's CLARAMAND ONE VISION, o/w ticked, very pretty one with sweetest of heads, well ribbed up with plenty of heart-room, sound and merry on the move though a little too exuberant!
Post Graduate (3)1. Ward's WENSUM LET'S DANCE, red with a very dark eye and sweet, feminine expression, well ribbed with strong topline, sound mover and in good coat and condition; 2. Pendlebury's COOLEELA BLACK BEAUTY AT SANDABYS, black of good type, liked her legs and feet and she was well angulated but not as short coupled as 1, sound mover, just needs more coat to finish; 3. Davies' TRINANT CELTIC CARIAD.
Limit(9)1. Masters & Dott's ADRIANA SUNFOREST SOUL WITH MANCHELA (Imp) dark blue of type, quality and soundness, she is an honest Cocker with a very pleasing head, kind expressive eyes, square muzzle with well chiselled skull but retaining femininity, she is very compact and short over the loin yet has sufficient length of upper arm, her forechest is well developed (which is so often lacking) with just the right amount of bone and substance, has the strong, tight well padded feet of a true gundog and always the hallmark of the really good ones, in my opinion. Very little I would change about her, a sound merry mover, her fitness and hard condition enabling her to hold a strong topline standing and moving, another one that doesn't need to be stacked to look good as she is so well put together, CC which I was told was her 3rd and very well deserved; 2. Mc.Bride's TOPDAY TINY DANCER, ran 1 quite close and she was in my mind to bring back in for the challenge, dark blue again of excellent type and quality, another that has an excellent forehand with good forechest and spring of rib, sound mover, just slightly prefering the head of 1; 3.Bowen's LARARTH MIDNIGHT BLUE.
Open(3)1.Collin & Wildman's SH.CH.OKTUMI OPALESCENCE, steel blue of superior type and quality, excellent return of upper arm and clean neck and shoulders, short coupled and well ribbed but with excellent angulation, she is enhanced by immaculate conditioning and fitness and is merry, animated and sound on the move very close up in the challenge, just thought my CC a touch shorter coupled, RCC and a very worthy Ch. 2. Lester & Shinkfield's QUETTADENE QUEEN OF STARS, black of quality, correct size, clean in throat and really scores in neck and shoulders, just preferred the the squarer muzzle and chiselling to the back skull of 1 but very merry and sound and holds a firm topline standing and moving, sensible coat and presentation.